DOEN x NET-A-PORTER | My 3 Favorite Pieces From This Sustainable Fashion Brand & Tons Of Outfit Inspiration

Within the sustainable, slow fashion world Doen has quickly become synonymous with beautiful, elegant clothing that’s been made to last. This lovely brand first came on my radar a few years ago (they were founded in 2016 by sisters Margaret and Katherine Kleveland) and I’ve loved following their progression ever since. Recently, they partnered with Net-a-Porter for an exclusive collection that I hope will help spread awareness for their work even further.

I personally really love a few of the items in this collection and wanted to share them with you today. Below, I’ve outlined a little more about the brand and my personal faves from the collection, along with a few ways you could style them with wardrobe basics you likely already have in your closet. I hope you enjoy this wardrobe dreaming and if you’ve tried Doen, I would love to know what you think!

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Doen Blouse / Block Heel Sandals / Neutral Bucket Bag / Sunglasses

Doen Blouse / Neutral Bucket Bag / Sunglasses / Loafers

Doen Blouse / Neutral Bucket Bag / Ankle Boots

Doen Blouse / Block Heel Sandals / Neutral Bucket Bag / Sunglasses / White Pants

Doen Blouse / Neutral Bucket Bag / Sunglasses / White Pants / Espadrilles

Doen Blouse / Neutral Bucket Bag / Sunglasses / Block Heel Sandals / Lightweight Scarf

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Doen Blouse / Sunglasses / Block Heel Sandals

Doen Blouse / Block Heel Sandals

Doen Blouse / Sunglasses / Block Heel Sandals / Handmade Cotton Cardigan

Doen Blouse / Sunglasses / Block Heel Sandals / White Pants

Doen Blouse / Sunglasses / Handmade Cotton Cardigan / Ankle Boots

Doen Blouse / Sunglasses / Handmade Cotton Cardigan / Ankle Boots

Doen Blouse / Sunglasses / Gold Locket / Cap Toe Pumps

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Doen Dress / Gold Locket / Block Heel Sandals

Doen Dress / Handmade Cotton Cardigan / Espadrilles

Doen Dress / Gold Locket / Ankle Boots / Sunglasses

The Sweater So Nice, I Bought It Twice

I don’t often purchase two of the same thing but every once in a while I’ll make a purchase that works so well for my wardrobe, I end up buying it in multiple colors. I’ve noticed that the older I get and the more certain I become of my personal style and my tastes, the happier I am to stick to what I know works.

Sure, every now and then I’ll still experiment with a new silhouette (like the jeans you see here), color or pattern, but more often than not I know what works and I love filling my closet with just that. In my experience I get more use and wear out of 2 identical tops that I do out of 5 different ones that are different just for the sake of having variety. For me, in these instances less truly is more. It’s taken me so many years to get to this point that I view it as a comfort and accomplishment rather than boring, and I couldn’t be happier that my personal style journey has taken me to this point. This pink sweater represents that mentality and satisfaction perfectly.

This light pink, wool sweater is the same sweater I have in blue - except with a v-neck. After I purchased the blue one last year, I’ve worn it non-stop and I love everything about it - the color, the material, the ease and the styling. This love affair was so strong that I knew having the same sweater in another one of my core wardrobe colors would get just as much use and I wasn’t wrong. I love wearing it with everything from jeans like you see here to skirts and tailored trousers and it feels just as right with all of them. Plus, it’s been the perfect piece for transitioning from winter into spring and summer into fall and winter, and it looks just as great with pale blue and white as it does with rich maroon and camel.

Now, this sartorial certainty didn’t happen over night. In fact, it’s taken me quite a few years of trial and error to reach this point, but it’s a journey that I’m so happy I took and I encourage everyone to do the same. By testing different pieces and wearing them regularly, I was amazed by how quickly I learned what I did and didn’t love. So in the case of sweaters, I prefer a thin knit (with some exceptions of course) and I love scoop, crew (but not too high) and v-necks. I also know that I don’t like sweaters that are too long and I prefer when sweaters have a slim wrist and sleeves that aren’t too long - no easy feat for my petite arms.

One final thing that’s important to note is that this sweater is from Uniqlo and I’m not advocating for Uniqlo or this exact sweater - in fact, it was recently revealed that Uniqlo has not paid their employees (a fact I sadly learned after I had already purchased and owned this sweater for a while). Rather, what I am advocating for is finding your own unique wardrobe essentials and then purchasing the versions of those that are well made, within your personal budget (it’s okay if you can’t afford only hand made, slow fashion pieces) and with the intent of wearing and using them for as long as possible. I’ve already worn this sweater so many times and I have no doubt that I’ll continue wearing it for at least a few more years. It’s well made and features the softest lightweight wool material that works so well for my wardrobe and my life and that’s what’s most important. That we customize our wardrobes to our own unique lives.

Pink Sweater (sold out. but still available in other colors with a crew neck here) / High Rise, Straight Leg Jeans* GIFTED BUT SELECTED BY ME & I LOVE THEM / Cap Toe Pumps / Sunglasses (handmade in France)

How To Afford Expensive Clothes (VIDEO) - Easy Saving & Budgeting Steps That Won’t Break The Bank

When building your dream wardrobe full of pieces you can wear and love for years, there may come a time when you want to make a purchase that exceeds your usual spending. Now, wanting something outside of your usual budget and actually buying something outside of your usual budget are two entirely different things, so today I want to share my simple process for deciding if something is actually WORTH spending more on, and then how you can save and plan for that purchase so that you don’t go broke in the name of fashion. So let’s get started.

1. Make sure a large purchase is something you’ll actually wear and use - I do this by planning and researching for months sometimes even years before actually making a purchase or deciding to start saving for it. One of my first steps in this is to always test the item out in a lower price before deciding on a more expensive version. I love to do this by finding the piece second hand and wearing and experimenting with it for a while to decide if it’s something I reach for a lot or just something I’ve seen styled a lot by someone else so I think it will work for me as well.

2. Is it actually WORTH the price? This can be a tricky one to figure out because to an extent “worth” is relative and can differ from person to person. Generally speaking though, I personally try not to spend a lot on things crafted from most synthetics or things that poorly constructed (uneven stitching, mismatched patterns etc), and I never allow a brand name to dictate or influence what I view as “worth it.” There are too many instances of designer or high end items that aren’t actually worth more than a few dollars, and when it comes down to it you’re only paying for the brand. The elevated price helps cover marketing and branding etc.

3. See if you can get a deal - before I lock in my budget I always check ebay, etsy and other second hand shops to get a feel for how much I can realistically expect to spend on the item new vs used, and if it’s something I can even buy second hand - some goods are too desirable so they never pop up on these sites. I also come up with a plan for when I’d like to purchase the item taking seasonal sales and other shopping cycles into account. For example, maybe I’ll be able to score the coat of my dreams in an after season sale or during black Friday, or maybe it’s the type of thing that never goes on sale so it doesn’t matter if I purchase it in the spring or the fall.

4. Set your budget- Once I have that, I set a budget for the average price the item goes for.

5. Backtrack your income and come up with a savings plan - Now that you have your budget set, you can start figuring out how much you can save every week or month and then come up with how long it will take you to save before you can actually afford the item. Let’s say for example, you want to buy a $500 coat and you can afford to set aside $20 of disposable income every week. That means it will take you roughly 5 months of saving before you can afford the coat.

6. Figure out ways you can expedite the process by saving in other areas - Now, obviously if you can afford to set aside more than $20 every month for that coat you’ll achieve your goal faster. To do this, I like to see if and how I can cut back in other areas in order to have more disposable income to put towards my purchase. For example, maybe you can cancel your cable service and put that money towards your coat fund. Or, you can eat out less and make more meals at home.

7. Stay focused by saving images of the item you want - Now all that’s left to do is stay focused until you achieve your goal. I like to do this over on Pinterest and I even have a folder on my phone of my favorite inspirational images that I can refer back to when I’m tempted to make an impulse buy. 99% of the time I’ll refer back to these images and remember that I want the original item so much more than the impulse buy I’m looking at and it’s saved me so much in wasted money and allowed me to achieve some of my dream purchases much faster than I would have been able to otherwise.

Wish List Outfit Planning No. 5

Some more outfit planning and dreaming featuring the items on my wish list and things I already own. These are so helpful for visualizing how something will fit into my wardrobe and really help me avoid bringing something into my wardrobe that won’t jive with what I already have in color, texture, silhouette etc. I’ve linked everything down below.

Timeless Ankle Boots / Suede Loafers / Wide Leg Crops / Black Wrap Dress / Forever Pearls / Modern Diamonds / Classic Charm Bracelet / Sabina Savage Scarf / Handknitted Sweater

Recently Purchased From Wish List: Silk Shirt / Solid Mules / Light Cashmere Scarf

Recently Gifted From Wish List: Classic Bucket Bag

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WHAT I HAVE: Grey Cashmere Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Cap Toe Pumps / Black Wool Pants / Beige Sunglasses / Light Cashmere Scarf / Long Gold Necklace *gifted / Classic Bucket Bag *gifted
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet

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WHAT I HAVE: Blue Wool Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Cap Toe Pumps / Black Wool Pants / Beige Sunglasses / Light Cashmere Scarf / Long Gold Necklace *gifted / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet

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WHAT I HAVE: Blue Wool Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Cap Toe Pumps / Skinny Jeans / Sabina Savage Scarf / Beige Sunglasses / Long Gold Necklace*gifted / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet

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WHAT I HAVE: Blue Wool Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Skinny Jeans / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted / Light Cashmere Scarf
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet / Suede Loafers / Modern Diamonds

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WHAT I HAVE: Blue Wool Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted / Light Cashmere Scarf
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet / Suede Loafers / Modern Diamonds

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WHAT I HAVE: Blue Wool Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Brown Ankle Boots / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted / Light Cashmere Scarf
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet / Modern Diamonds

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WHAT I HAVE: Blue Wool Sweater / Camel Coat / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet Beige Sunglasses / Classic Bucket Bag *gifted/ Light Cashmere Scarf / Solid Mules
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet / Modern Diamonds

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WHAT I HAVE: Striped Tee / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Solid Mules / Classic Bucket Bag *gifted/ Light Cashmere Scarf / Beige Sunglasses
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet / Modern Diamonds

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WHAT I HAVE: Orange Cashmere Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Solid Mules / Classic Bucket Bag *gifted/ Light Cashmere Scarf
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet / Modern Diamonds

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WHAT I HAVE: Orange Cashmere Sweater / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Solid Mules / Beige Sunglasses / Classic Bucket Bag *gifted
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet/ Modern Diamonds / Sabina Savage Scarf

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WHAT I HAVE: Denim Jacket / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Baroque Pearl Earrings / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted / Solid Mules / Beige Sunglasses
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet

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WHAT I HAVE: Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Baroque Pearl Earrings / Espadrilles / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted / Solid Mules / Beige Sunglasses
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet

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WHAT I HAVE: Brown Ankle Boots / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Bold Gold Earrings / Classic Bucket Bag*gifted / Silk Shirt / Beige Sunglasses
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet

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WHAT I HAVE: Brown Ankle Boots / Delicate Necklace / Signet ring / Delicate bracelet / Bold Gold Earrings / Woven Mules / Classic Bucket Bag *gifted/ Beige Sunglasses
WHAT I’LL ADD: Classic Charm Bracelet

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